Assassin’s Creed 4 Black Flag Assassin Contracts Guide

Assassin Contracts make a return in Assassin’s Creed 4 Black Flag. In Black Flag, these trademark side-missions from the franchise function more like they did in Ezio’s first game, rather than the way they did in Assassin’s Creed 3.

You’ll first have to undertake a contract from the designated location on your map for Assassin Contracts before you can begin any of them.

These secondary assignments reward you with 1000R usually, and there’s always an additional bonus for you to claim if you manage to stay out of open conflict.

There are a total of 30 Assassin Contracts in Black Flag, spread out all across the Caribbean. Completing half of these will also award you with the Stealth outfit, which gives a boost to Edward Kenway’s hiding skills, making it more difficult for enemies to detect him.

Subsequent contracts in a single location might become available only when you complete a preceding contract, but there’s really no fixed sequence to follow when completing these assassinations.

For quick conclusion, stick to one location; whichever one you’re in, and finish all the contracts for that particular area before moving on to the next one.

Assassin’s Creed 4 Black Flag Assassin Contracts

Your targets will always be in Restricted Areas, so simply walking up to them and performing a low-profile kill with the hidden blades won’t be an option.

The Blowpipe will prove to be invaluable during most of these contracts when attempting to assassinate your target without being noticed.

Keep ammunition for it and crafting materials for darts at the ready before tackling any of the contracts. Darts aren’t the only way however, and definitely not the most enjoyable one either.

Another way to infiltrate past the defenses without triggering open conflict is through the use of drunken pirates and employing the services of nearby dancers. Use either or both, and get in close to your target for a stealthy, low-profile stab with your hidden blade.

Long range headshots with your pistol are also an option, so are air-assassinations, but you won’t get the no conflict bonus in most instances when you take this route.

The methods for tackling each contract listed below are just our recommended ways of performing said assassinations without initiating open conflict. Feel free to experiment and make your own routes to complete each Assassin Contract.

Kingston

We’ll start the guide with the contracts in Kingston, since they are the first few entries in the progress tracker:

Assassin Contract #1 – The Plantation Master
Your target for this contract will be roaming around a plantation. Sneak your way around to the small hut at the west of the plantation and climb onto its roof.

From here, shoot your target with a Berserk Dart and get off the roof and out of the Restricted Area before someone notices you. Your target will die soon enough, completing the contract.

Assassin Contract #2 – The Guard Post
There are a few patrols moving about near your target this time, but the landscape provides you with plenty of opportunities to assassinate without being noticed. Climb onto the cliff to the west (directly behind your target) and from here, plan your course of action.

As always, the simplest solution is to kill the enemy with the Blowpipe, but you can perform a headshot, or even an air assassination if you time them right.

Another option is to incapacitate the other guards nearby with sleep-darts, and then close in on the Captain without being noticed for a hidden blade assassination.

Assassin Contract #3 – The Slave Traders
Directly next to your waypoint and the Restricted Area will be a large house on the east side.

Make your way up to its roof and then use Eagle Vision to identify your target. Your target will be patrolling the area directly below, but the rooftop opposite to you will have a Gunner standing on top of it who can detect you.

Be quick and hit your target with a Berserk Dart before the Gunner notices you. Now get out of the Restricted Area by jumping off the rooftop and back towards the road to the east. After a few seconds of battle, the target will drop dead and the contract will be completed.

Assassin Contract #4 – The Judge
This one’s a little further to the south of Kingston. It’s a long walk if you haven’t explored that area, but if you have, simply Fast Travel to the Viewpoint near your target’s location.

It’s fairly easy to spot your target, since he’s the man shouting outside one of the houses. Moving in close is a bit of a problem, since the man starts running at the sight of Edward, triggering a chase.

To make quick work of him, climb to the top of the building towards the southeast of his position, and from here, put a bullet into his cranium.

Stand at the farthest possible part of the roof that still gives you a clear shot when shooting to make sure you’re at a safe distance. To rid yourself of even that hassle, just use a Berserk Dart to take him out.

Assassin Contract #5 – The Weapons Smugglers
To the south of the Restricted Area is a building with a lift at its back. Use that lift to reach the building’s roof, and take out the Gunner patrolling it.

Now directly in front of you, your target will be roaming about along the street below. The musket of the Gunner you just killed is an option for making quick work of the target, but it will trigger open conflict.

For a stealthy conclusion, resort to your Blowpipe and land a Berserk Dart on your target to complete the contract.

Assassin Contract #6 – The British Captain
This target is surrounded by a bunch of citizens, and stands in the center of a Restricted Area in a small clearing, so a hidden blade execution without compromising yourself is out of the question.

Hitting your target with a Berserk Dart is a convenient way, and the Blowpipe can be used without alerting anyone from the rooftop of the building to the north of the Restricted Area.

There’s also an opening for a clear shot between the crowd on the side of the beach, and the Berserk Dart can be landed on your target from behind them.

If you’re bored of assassinating targets via the Blowpipe, there’s a bunch of drunken pirates nearby who you can pay to attack your target.

Havana

Assassin Contract #7 – Beach Bonfire
In this contract, your target patrols around a small Restricted Area on the beach. Stand outside the circle and observe his patrol for a while to acquaint yourself with it.

He moves from a hiding spot towards a few brawling pirates and then back.

To the west of the Restricted Area is a Stalking Zone. Start by moving into it, and then run to the hiding spot in your target’s patrol route when he’s close to the pirates. He’ll eventually make his way back to the hiding spot, and when he does, assassinate him to complete the contract.

Assassin Contract #8 – A Shipment of Powder
Head to the docks to the south of Havana to reach the Restricted Area for this contract, where your target is. The place is covered with guards, and the Restricted Area is rather large.

Swim outside the red zone to avoid being targeted all the way to the pier on the northeast edge of it. Hang on its front-most ledge, adjacent to the docked boat.

The Scout you’re meant to kill has a short patrol path and will come and stand right above you.

When he does move to the edge of the pier, perform a ledge assassination and swim out of the Restricted Area to complete the contract without a triggering an open conflict.

Assassin Contract #9 – The Spanish Commander
The Captain that you have to assassinate is in a courtyard that’s heavily guarded, with Gunners stationed on the roofs and guards at the entrances to it.

We’ll cover two ways on how to take out your target without being noticed.

How? I’m deathly afraid of sharks so I’m trying to avoid them at all costs.

The Metal Pigeon

Anyone notice that you can accept assassination contracts from pigeon coops before even meeting any assassins during the early part of the game? That’s an oddly glaring thing the game designers missed. Also, how is it that edward knows he can jump off high synch/viewing points to safely flop in a pad of hay or the like? He wasn’t trained for that during privateering I’m guessing. Dude is basically a fighting badass from the start of the game and that makes no sense.